154 Applications and Six Insights from the Third Round of the Housing Supply Challenge

Launched in October 2020, the Housing Supply Challenge, led by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), asked residents and experts across Canada to come up with bold and innovative solutions to change the face of housing in our communities. The third challenge round invited applicants to submit solutions to increase affordable housing in Canada’s northern and remote communities. Stage 1 brought forward a diverse array of applicants from across Canada.

Since the launch, the Housing Supply Challenge Support Program, run by Evergreen, has supported hundreds of potential applicants through events, resources and outreach activities to develop and improve their submission for the Challenge.

6 insights from Round 3 applicants

1. 154 applications from all over Canada came together with solutions, with wide ranging innovative approaches to housing supply challenges.
2. The Northwest Territories had 16 applications, Yukon (10), Nunavut (12), Ontario (44), BC (25), Alberta (19) and Québec had 12 applicants.
3. For-profit corporations make up 69% of applicants followed by Indigenous governments (12%), not-for-profit organizations (10%), and post-secondary institutions (5%).
4. The top effect is cost. 68% of applicants stress the effects of supply chain barriers on the cost of creating, operating, and maintaining housing in northern and remote regions.
5. Round 3 applicants participated in online events hosted by the Support Program and accessed many resources to develop their solutions.
6. The top barriers include: Supply & transport of materials, local capacity & resources, geography, planning & logistics, policy & regulation.

33 teams were shortlisted for stage 2

The teams taking the next important step in the challenge have a range of viable ideas that could make a difference in all five of these categories. Some are localized options that could easily be scaled to help other communities – or even be applied globally. And many address much more than housing, tying in community-building ideas that incorporate training and employment opportunities, and supporting resilient home-grown solutions.

For more information on Round 3 shortlisted projects, you can read this CMHC article.

The CMHC recently launched the next phase of the Housing Supply Challenge: Building for the Future: Innovative Construction for Housing Affordability. Round 4 is all about construction Innovation that will build a better future for Canadians.